Hyderabad: The first batch of 340 pilgrims from Telangana state, AP and four districts arrived at the Haj House in Nampally here on Friday, marking the beginning of the Haj 2016 season. The first batch is scheduled to leave on August 21, from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on an Air India flight at 2.10 pm. Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali will flag off the batch at 10 am.
Prof. S.A. Shukoor, of the Telangana Haj Committee, said 5,000 pilgrims from TS, AP, and Kalburagi (Gulbarga), Bidar, Udgir and Raichur districts of Karnata would leave from Hyderabad. He said seven flights had been arranged for the pilgrims leaving from Telangana state, four for Andhra Pradesh and one flight for Karnataka pilgrims. The other three flights would have pilgrims from all three states.
